Getting Back There
by WIWJ
Summary: It's two years from How We Got Here. As the gang gets ready for the next election they all take some time to look back at the Bartlett White House, the good and bad. Josh and Donna deal with a threat close to the heart.
1. Disturbing

_This is part two it starts two years later. They are knee deep in the reelection campaign and Bartlett's Presidential Library opening is a week away._

**Getting Back There**

They'd been laughing all morning on the plane.

"We're using your office." Donna announced pushing Josh playfully out into the corridor. "The president has his own."

Deana handed her a stack of mail.

"She's kicking me out of my office." Josh told Charlie's little sister.

"This surprises you how?" Dee muttered looking back over her shoulder at him.

"I hate your assistant." He teasingly told Donna.

"Josh?"

"Huh?"

"Get out."

"It's my office."

"Yes and I'm using it." She looked quickly into the presidents office. "Ma'am we can use Josh's office."

"Your boss has her own suite on this plane." He reminded his wife as Helen Santos slipped past him and sat at his desk.

"Yes and my husband has an office that he's not using. Now go." She pushed him into the Presidents office.

"Sir."

"Josh did you just get beat up by our wives?" Santos chuckled.

"What's new?"

"Whatta ya got?" Matt nodded again with a chuckle.

"Lou wanted you to go over the campaign speech for tonight." The President held it up. "Annabeth's been getting questions about your view on 23-416."

"What's my view on 23-416?"

"Not a big fan Sir." Josh said blowing air through his lips.

"Okay what else?"

"The secret service needs to go over some things with us about the Disney World trip and the kids. I'm gonna farm out my parental duties to Donna.. you wanna-?"

"Yeah what makes you think my wife will go for that? Your kid is two. Mine are eleven and nine. I'm gonna have to use the Dad voice."

"Yeah.. I farm that out to Donna too." Josh teased. "Oh and we have to go over the New Hampshire trip. We'll be staying with the Bartlett's in Manchester. You and the first family are welcome."

"We're going to stay at the Governor's Mansion. This is your family reunion Josh, not ours. Tell President Bartlett thank you."

Josh nodded.

"Mathew!" Helen Santos' panicked shout rang out across the plane.

The president had started out from behind his desk by the time Deanna had made it to the doorway.

"Josh. They need you next store. We're going to need Ron Butterfield on the phone."

Josh moved quickly past Dee and into his office. He met Donna's wide eyes as Matt moved in behind him. One of Helen's agents sat quietly beside Donna on the couch.

"What?"

"We got a death threat." Helen said as another agent carefully removed the letter from her hand.

"Someone threatened to kill you?" Santos asked his wife softly.

"It's not uncommon. It's only uncommon that the letter reached you Ma'am. Someone had your pass code for-." Josh began.

"No." Helen said firmly as Santos reached for the now bagged letter. "Not me. Donna."

Josh stopped breathing and looked at his wife. She starred back blankly.

"Oh my God." Santos grimaced as he read the words.

"Let me see it." Josh whispered.

"I don't think that's a good-." Santos began.

"She's gotten threats before.."

"Not like this.." Donna whispered finding her voice.

"What did it say?" He made his way over to the couch and sat down on her other side. "Donnatella?"

"It's very graphic." Matt whispered.

"It says how they'd kill us." Donna told him.

"You and me?"

"No." Matt's voice croaked out of his chest.

"Me and Noah." She swallowed hard and wiped her tear filled eyes. Josh stopped breathing.

"What kind of psycho describes in detail how they'd kill a two year old boy?" Matt grumbled.

Donna clapped her hand to her mouth and ran towards the bathroom door. Josh shook off his shock and slowly got to his feet to follow her. Matt Santos put his arm around his wife and looked at agent Sullivan.

"Savannah, I want extra protection on the kids. I want an agent so close to Noah that he has baby food on his jacket, got it?" Matt shouted, wincing at the sound of Donna's sobbing and retching from the bathroom. "Get this out of here before Josh tries to read it."

"Who says they're going to cut off a baby's toes?" Helen breathed from under his arm. Santos swallowed not wanting to know the answer to that question. He turned to see Edie standing in the doorway. "Get a medic in there to check on Donna please." He whispered at her. Josh opened the door just enough to stick out his head.

"Dee, will you go get Noah and take him to Sam please?" He asked softly. She nodded and he closed the door.

"Fill him in." He told the agent with the note. "Deanna tell him to stay with Noah and we'll meet him in the conference room."

* * *

Josh laid Donna on the bed in his office, thankful for the sedative. She'd stopped throwing up long enough to fall asleep. 

"Josh?" Deanna's soft voice called into the dark room. "They're waiting for you in the conference room." Josh looked back at Donna. "I'll stay with her."

"Thanks Dee." He said softly putting his hand on her arm as he wandered through the plane.

He knew Sam had read the letter the moment he saw him. The man's forehead creased into two angry wrinkles and his lips pressed into a white line. He was holding Noah's sleeping form tightly against him. It was obvious if you were going to look at this kid the wrong way you were going to have to kill Sam Seaborn first. Josh smiled at how Noah had buried his face into Sam's neck.

His eyebrows went up when Josh walked intot he room. He moved over to the couch and Sam met him there. Lyman peeled his son away from his best friend and kissed his forehead.

"What do we have?"

"We're compiling a list of all those who have access to Donna's postal code." Sam told him softly.

"You read it?" Again he knew the answer when Seaborn swallowed and ran his hand up Noah's back.

"You shouldn't." He choked.

"Is this about me? About being my wife?" He asked. "Or about being Helen's COS?"

"It's not clear. There was no issue mentioned. There was only a reference to what it would do to your sanity. No grievance." Agent Savannah Sullivan shook her head as she spoke. "Just a graphic detailed description of how they were to be tortured and killed."

Josh rubbed his face.

"_Josh, Ron Butterfield here_." Lyman looked at the phone on the desk.

"Ron what do we do?"

"_We've contacted the first families school and doubled security. We've doubled the agents on Donna and The First Lady as well as all three children."_

"Thank you."

"_We sent an agent to pick up your mother and bring her to the hotel. We decided you should stay there this trip instead of with her."_

"I called her Josh. I told her there was a threat made on you. I didn't have the heart to-." The deputy chief of staff shook his head.

"Thanks Sam." His voice was muffled against Noah's brown curls. "Ron? I want Gina on Noah's detail." Gina was Zoë's old agent. She was the best there was.

"_Done_." Ron said simply.

"What about Deana? When I got threats they'd take Donna home at night and check her place."

"It's all set up Mr. Lyman." Savannah said softly. Josh nodded and leaned back against the couch listening to Santos dismiss the meeting and the group file out.

"Okay?" Sam said softly. "What's are plan?"

"If he's not in the White House he's with one of us at all times." Josh said firmly. "You, me or Donna.

"Exactly what I was thinking." He sighed. "I called Peter and had him send someone over to upgrade your security system."

"Did you call Ainsly?"

"Yeah. Ron recommended a private agency to get someone for Leo." He shook his head. "My six month old needs a body guard Josh."

"My two year old gets death threats." Josh kissed his son.

"When this is all over? I mean when our eight years are up of course.." Josh met his gaze. "You're not roping me into another one Josh. Not after this." Sam's eyes broke away as Josh nodded and landed on Noah's peaceful face.

"I don't even want to take him off the plane."

"Yeah." Sam pressed his forehead into his palm. "How's Donna?"

"Sedated."

"Yeah I figured after.." Josh looked at him pleadingly as his voice trailed off.

"No Josh." He shook his head. "No."

"How can I comfort her if I don't know what it said?"

"You read that? You'll do something stupid. Or worse you'll have a major melt down and Donna will have to take care of you. Josh trust me you don't want to read it." Sam absently stroked Noah's chubby toes. "I wish I hadn't. You don't want to know."


	2. Details

"Noah say goodbye to Grandma." Josh instructed leaning forward enough for his son to kiss his mother. She pulled back from her grandson and planted a kiss on Josh's cheek too. "We'll be back soon, Ma." He whispered.

"I've heard that before." She smiled at him, bringing up her hand and cupping Noah's chubby cheek.

"We will be. Florida's a swing state." Her son grinned, swiveling at the sound of the door opening. "There's Mommy."

Patrica watched her daughter in law move across the room towards Noah, it had become impossible not to notice the worry lines around her eyes. She moved her hands against the toddlers back, leaning into her husband. Josh kissed her temple, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Ready?" He whispered. Donna nodded, throwing her arms around her mother in law. "An agent's going to take you back home, Ma." Josh looked nervously towards Savannah.

"Joshua, don't worry about me. They threatened you." She rolled her eyes. "Take care of him, Donna." She laughed.

Donna pressed her lips together in an unnatural smile.

"She always does." Josh whispered, moving his hand across his wife's back.

"Sir." Agent Nick Brawling cleared his throat. Josh looked towards his guy. "We're ready."

With one more quick goodbye to his Mom, Lyman ushered his family to the door.

"Where's Sam?" He asked, as soon as his Mom was out of earshot.

"He's already in the car, Sir." Nick said smoothly pushing his way in front of Josh.

"They're sure it's the same guy?" He asked softly.

"Yes Sir." Savannah chirped. Josh listened to the uneven sound of Donna's quick breathing. "We're sure."

His arm tightened around Noah. Donna smiled at her son as he reached back to touch her hair.

Savannah took her arm and moved her towards the exit. Deanna stood in the door way. She handed Donna her jacket and tossed Josh's over Noah's head as the couple ducked out the door and into the waiting car.

Sam pulled Noah free of his drape and fastened him into the car seat. Dee sat on the other side of the baby.

Josh pulled his wife to him as the tears started to fall down her face. She pushed her head into his neck.

"Maybe we shouldn't go." He looked at Sam.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's the second safest place in the United States right now." Seaborn sighed passing Noah a box of Animal Crackers.

"Did you read it?" Donna murmured from Josh's chest.

"No and neither will you." The Deputy Chief of Staff said quickly. They'd confiscated her mail, as well as Josh's and the First Lady's. That's how they'd found the second threat.

Josh moved his fingers through her hair.

"Did you talk to Ainsley?" He asked softly.

"She and Leo are staying at the residence. Ronna's keeping them company." Sam told them, huffing worriedly. He wished he was there with his wife and son.

"She's a good assistant." Donna sniffed.

"Deputy Deputy Chief of Staff's are known for being very well qualified for dealing with crises." Josh smirked, watching the grin slip across her face. "You should sleep on the plane."

"I won't." She muttered.

"Donnatella.." His voice was soft, but warning. "You need to sleep. They could give you something."

"I shouldn't.." She was close to sleep already.

"They said it was okay." He reminded her.

"I don't want to."

"Then rest."

Sam leaned his head back against the seat, Santos had called him to his room when they had gotten word about the second letter. He'd grimly asked if Donna was pregnant.

Sam had hesitated, knowing they wanted to wait to tell people.

"_The new letter makes reference to.." The president had looked away from him then._

"_Sir?"_

"_Her.. a.. fetus." He stumbled over the words. _

"_Oh God." Sam's eyes slammed shut and he swallowed, remembering what they'd said about Noah, wondering what they could have said about the baby._

"_I'll have them get you a copy.."_

"_No thank you, Sir." Sam had said, waiting wordlessly to be dismissed.

* * *

_

It wasn't until they were on the plan, both Noah and Donna asleep in the COS's office when he told Josh the news.

"They know about the baby." He whispered, trying to read the expression on his friend's face.

"How could they possibly.?"

"The Secret Service says they could have gone through your trash." Sam watched him rub his face. "Or it could be an inside job Josh."

"Oh shit." Lyman hissed. "Shit."

"I had Peter set up a security guard for your mom too." He told him. "Just to be safe."

"Thanks Sam." Josh looked back towards his office. "I'm gonna.."

"Yeah."


	3. Dedication

She'd managed to keep it together for the ride to Manchester, but the second she saw the knowing look of Abby Bartlett she burst into tears again. 

"Oh Honey." The former First Lady whispered wrapping her arms around her. Behind her she saw Zoey sitting cross legged on the floor, Donna cried harder. If one person on earth knew how she felt at that moment it was Abby. "It'll be okay."

"Hey Zoe." Josh said quietly, dropping Noah down in front of her. She took the little boy by the shoulders and wiggled him back and forth.

"Hey Noah.. Noah.. Noah.." She chanted, the little boy giggled.

"How are you?" Abby whispered pulling Donna back and taking her in.

"Pregnant." She blurted out without a second thought. Abby smiled and brushed the tears from Donna's face.

"I could tell."

"Yeah?"

"You have the same look you had with Noah." Abby said softly. She hugged her again and looked at Josh. "Did Sam go over?"

"No, he's waiting for Ainsley's plane." Josh said softly, leaning over and kissing Dr. Bartlett's cheek.

"I'm glad she decided to come." She nodded knowingly at Josh before dropping down in front of Noah and opening her arms. "Can Nana hold you?"

Noah launched himself willingly at her and she pulled him in tighter.

"Josh, Gina called." Zoey told him as he extended his hand helped her too her feet. "She's coming right away. She'll be her tonight."

"Thanks Zoe." Lyman nodded again, glad that Gina and Zoey were still so close. It made him all the more sure that she was the one he wanted on Noah. She gave his hand a squeeze before letting go. He turned to Donna, sliding his hand behind her neck.

"I have to go." He said softly. "The President is going to need me there."

"I should-."

"Helen said to stay here. You can work on the loose ends of her Ex-con thing."

"_Rehabilitated former inmates_ Joshua." Abby corrected smugly. Josh shot her an amused look. "Get it right"

"Sorry." He looked at Donna. "What she said." His wife smirked at him. "You'll be fine?" She nodded, leaning into his chest as he kissed her goodbye.

He turned towards Abby and Noah.

"Daddy's going to work Buddy. You're going to play with Nana and Auntie Zoe." He kissed the palm Noah had planted on his face. "And I'll see you later. Ah-kay?"

"Tay." Noah nodded.

"Ah-kay, we're going to have to work on that annunciation thing."

"He's closer than you are." Zoey rolled her eyes.

Josh blew raspberries on Noah's hand, narrowing his eyes at the former first daughter.

"Bye-bye."

"Dood-bye!" Noah chirped his pudgy fingers folding into his palm and out again in a two year old wave.

Josh kissed Donna's cheek one more time before hurrying out the door with Nick in tow.

Donna followed him worriedly with her eyes until he was out of view.

"He'll be fine. He looks better than you." She teased.

"He didn't read it." Donna said softly. "It was-."

"I know. Jed had it faxed here." She stopped her, putting up a hand in protest. "It was awful." She kissed Noah's head. "Nana is going to let Mommy rest and take Noah to see the horses."

He clapped his hands happily before extending one to Zoey.

"Yes Auntie's coming too." Abby finished as Zoe held out a finger for him to take. "We'll come and get you when Gina gets here." Donna nodded. "I put you and Josh in the corner room, it has the crib in it for Noah. Deanna knows where it is, right, Sweetie?"

Dee nodded at her surrogate mother, taking Donna's bag from her and leading her down the hall. She glanced back at Abby, who was dancing Noah towards the door. He was pulling Zoey along by the finger. She smiled.

If this life after the White House maybe she was ready for it.


	4. Disaster

**A/N Okay so.. the jig is up.. I didn't see the flash of the future.. i only read about it.. I was still boycotting the show then.. so.. I didn't know Josh was smiling. I figured he had his 'Josh isall buisness' face on.. should have known. Anyway.. let it slide. He's smiling because he loves Jed Bartlett. Who doesn't? Anyway.. please allow for some dramatic pause when dealing with the secret service in this chapter. I was going to say this could never happen.. but we all remember the Zoey thing right? No matter how we long to forget.. So here...**

**

* * *

**

He was surprised by the wave of nostalgia that greeted him when he saw them all standing there together.

"The President's coming." Josh smiled at Jed Bartlett.

"Where's your lovely wife?" Danny said pressing his hand into CJ's back.

"She's with The First Lady."

"Which one?" Toby wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"Current."

"Where's Noah?"Charlie asked jogging up behind him.

"With the other one." Josh shook his head and looked at him. "Look at you."

"Look at me." He raised his eyebrows.

"Third year of Law School." Josh grinned."Who would have known ten years ago?"

"You." Charlie said firmly. "Thanks for that." Josh shrugged. "And for taking Deanna in."

"You make it sound like you left her in a basket on our doorstep. She's a great assistant. Donna would be lost without her." Josh smiled at him. "So, you seeing anyone?"

Charlie looked over his shoulder at the advancing crowd. Josh turned his head and followed his gaze to Zoey as she followed her mother up the steps.

"Nah." He said softly. Josh clapped his hand on his shoulder and strode over towards the President and his entourage.

* * *

Sam held Ainsley's hand tightly. She shifted Leo from her hip to her shoulder. Sam readjusted his hold on Noah. Glancing back at the Santos children before looking pointedly at Gina. She nodded her head and motioned him forward. 

The children had always been a popular icon for the Santos Administration. Family Values were taken to a whole new level. They were at almost every function. Not only the first daughter and son, but Noah and Leo too.

It would all change now. The kids would be wisked away from the lime light and kept in the shadows like Caroline and John-John. He grimaced, kissing Noah's forehead before leaning in and kissing Leo's.

"They'll be okay." Ainsley said softly moving her hand to cover her baby's head protectively. Sam nodded, glancing again at Gina. Ainsley cast a quick look back at the assistants. Edie and Rhonna where deep in conversation and Deanna had veered off to find her brother.

Josh reached over and took Noah from Sam.

"Where's Donna?" He said breathlessly. Sam's face went blank.

* * *

Ron Butterfield took threats very seriously after Roslyn. Even ones not against the President, they'd been down that road before. Gunmen shoot first and ask who they hit later. 

The area had been secured, he reminded himself before his radio crackled.

"(Alpha this is Echo) I've lost visual on Chicken Fighter (over)."

Ron picked up the walkie-talkie and put it to his face.

"Delta? Do you have visual (over)?"

"Negative Alpha. Negative Delta does not have visual. (over)"

"Is Harvard contained (over)?" Ron asked suddenly looking around for Josh.

"Roger Alpha Harvard is contained (over)." Nick's voice boomed through the radio and Ron shook his head.

"Is the package secure (over)?" Ron moved his head around the crowd.

"Roger that Alpha. Harvard has the package. We are secure (over)." Good. Noah was safe. Josh had Noah.

"All areas report all areas report. I need a visual on Chicken Fighter." Ron yelled into the talkie. "NOW (over)."

The silence was momtarily deafening. Gina reached out and plucked Noah from Josh and started back towards the car.

"This is Gamma. I have the package on the move (over)." She said into her fist.

"Roger that Gamma. Kappa, Move Bo Peep and Boy Blue.. Do we have California (over)?"

Sam watched as the Santos Children were pulled from the crowd.

"Roger that Alpha, I have California and the Lima Bean (over)."

"All areas report! all areas report! I need a visual on Chicken Fighter (over.)" Ron waited.

"Alright.. I want Maverick on the move. I want Maverick on the move." Ron started towards Santos. "Sir we have to move out."

"What is it?"

"Donna?" Jed Bartlett whispered looking at Ron intently. He'd heard the radio.

"Where's Noah?"

"Secure we have to move, Sir."

"Wait where are my kids?"

"Secure Sir."

He hadn't even noticed they were gone. He looked at Helen, she whipped her head around.

"Where the hells my wife?" Josh looked at Ron. "Damn it!"


	5. Deliverance

Ron reached out his hand towards Santos.

Sam was helping Nick pull Josh back down the steps towards the car Gina had moved Noah to. Agent Jackson leaned in towards Bartlett.

All hell was about to break loose.

"Alpha this is Fox, I have Chicken Fighter on visual. (Repeat) I have Chicken Fighter on Visual. I have Chicken Fighter secured. Copy? (over)"

Josh let his head drop back exhaling loudly.

"I copy Fox. Verify your location (over)?"

"Roger that Alpha, In the Southwest Courtyard. (over)" Josh shook his head quickly before moving past the President and down the steps with Nick in tow.

"Donna?" He yelled out to her the second he saw her. "Donnatella I swear are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He reached out and pulled her next to him. "Where the hell were you?"

"I-." She stopped and looked at him for a second. "I got dizzy. Too many people.. I just sat down for a second."

"I'm taking you and Noah back to the farm." He said holding her face in his hands.

"No. I- I want to be here." She brought her hands up to his wrist. "I'm fine Josh I just got dizzy. It happened all the time with Noah. Remember?"

He nodded kissing her forehead.

"God that scared the hell out of me." He breathed pulling her against his chest.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Six agents directly beside you and not one of them saw you sit down?" He looked angrily at the two agents next to him.

"Joshua, Ana was with me the whole time."

"We could read you but we couldn't reply." Agent Anna Lange replied calmly. "Equipment problem, Sir."

"Don't you check the fucking thing before you leave?"

"Joshua Lyman!" Donna admonished.

"Yes Sir." Lange answered.

"Apologize to her."

"Donnatella, don't give me that-."

"It wasn't her fault Josh now apologize."

"I'm sorry I.. _swore_.. at you.." He looked at Donna and raised an eyebrow.

"For Christ sake Josh she's willing to take a bullet for us and your acting like a disgruntled postal worker." He took his wife's hand and led her up the hill

"I said I was sorry." He whined.

"Yeah, you should be." She muttered.

"I am." He looked back at Ana, she nodded at him.

"But from now on you stay with me." He told her."President Bartlett wants us to take the first tour with him."

* * *

Josh stood starring at a picture of himself during the first campaign. His hair skewed, papers strewn about his desk, face in his hands and ear stuck to the phone. _Pre-Donna._ He thought.

"Look at you." Donna whispered wrapping her arms around him from behind. "You look so young."

"I look like shit." He smirked, bringing her hands to his lips and kissed them. "This one.." He said pulling her along to a nearby photo. "This one I like."

"Yeah it's nice." She cooed. It was them at a Rally. She was smoothing out the lapels of his jacket grinning. He was laughing at what ever she'd said, his hair perfectly unruly as he held up the messages she'd undoubtedly brought him.

"How everyone didn't know we were meant for each other from day one.." He shook his head.

"Oh we knew." Sam laughed, alerting Josh to the fact everyone was listening.

"You did not." Josh gripped, making a face.

"Oh yeah." Jed Bartlett raised his eyebrows. "We knew."

"Thanks for making it so easy for us then." Josh smirked.

"Yeah.. sorry about that." Jed mused. "Now come on. I want you all here when I do this." He held up the small black package in his hand and walked towards the section on his life before the White House. There was a picture of him and Leo. There was a small empty case beside it. Bartlett opened the box slowly, pulling out the small black frame. Setting it in the case he closed it. Donna pulled closer to Josh.

"He was very proud of you." He told them, looking at each of there faces. "I'm sure he still is proud... of all of you." His eyes fell on Toby. "Of who you all have become. Of all the people you've chosen to love and the beautiful children you've created. Of the differences you've continued to make in the world. He loved you all. We were his family and we still are a family."

Sam felt himself swallow hard, his eyes falling on CJ's teary face.

"This is his legacy as well as mine."

He turned and started towards the door as they filed out behind him. Only Toby remained, starring glassy eyed at the framed napkin.

_**Bartlet for America**_


	6. Dying

Josh shifted uncomfortably in his seat, pulling at the seatbelt before letting it go again. Sam watched Donna put her hand on his thigh and how he laced his fingers tightly with hers. They sat facing each other in the limo, Leo and Noah both dozing haphazardly in the car seats Dr. Bartlett insisted on for the short ride from the library. Ainsley had been talking quietly about the exhibits to Sam and he'd been nodding his head. Josh was silently watching out the window. Donna was watching Josh. Sam knew that look.

"Hey. You guys are really tired. Why don't we take Noah with us tonight?" He offered.

"Sure." Ainsley said softly. "Leo still wakes up at night, so I'm used to it."

"I can take care of my family Sam." Josh mutters running his hands over his face.

"I know that." Sam tells him flatly. "I just thought that Donna might want-."

"Remember what happened the last time you thought about what Donna might want?" He snaps.

"Josh." The woman in question whispers softly.

"Right, what ever do what you want. I can take Noah and sleep someplace else if we're too distracting." Sam started to defend her when she put her hand up to stop him.

He has that look on his face again, the I swallowed bad milk look. Donna ran the backs of her fingers across hischeek and he closed his eyes.

"Look." He says softly after a few minutes have passed. "It's been a long day. It's-."

Josh's voice trailed off and he struggled to say something to break the silence. Sam looked at Ainsley.

"I'll say!" She announced. "I got no sleep last night at all. I mean come on, the Lincoln bedroom? Not the most restful room in the White House. You know they say it's haunted."

Josh's lips twitched into a smile and he leaned his head against the window letting her words drown out the sounds in his head. Sam shot Donna a look. She pressed her lips together before meeting his worried gaze with one of her own.

* * *

She knew it was coming when he'd snapped at the secret service.

She was surprised it had taken as long as it did, but he couldn't fall apart while she was. It wasn't what they did. One of them had to be in control. He'd flopped into bed with his shoes on. Never a good sign. His fingers clawed at his eyes for a moment.

"Josh?" Donna settled Noah down in the crib and walked back over to him.

"Huh?" He said absently.

"You can talk about it if you need to."

He huffed out a sigh.

"What's there to say? The secret service is incompetent. Someone's trying to take you and Noah away from me. I'm about five paxil's away from a nutty and Sam doesn't think I can take care of my family."

"That's not true."

"Which part?" He paused and looked up at her. "The Sam part? I'll give you the Sam part, but the rest of it.. true."

"Toby and CJ are down stairs in the library. They wanted to know if we were coming down."

"Yeah. Sure.. top this day off with my two long lost not so friendly friends."

"Josh.." She looked at him for a second before she sat on the floor and started working the ties on his shoes. "I'm having Deja vu here. The last time weslept here you freaked out about the tobacco blunder, stayed up all night and punched the wall." She took off his shoes and pulled at him until he was in a seated position and she could unbutton his shirt. "Are you going to punch the wall?"

He moved his hands to hers. He let them linger there for a moment before pushing hers away and starting the buttons himself. She took a step back.

"I think you should take a sleeping pill." She said boldly.

"No."

"Joshua the only time you say no is when you diffidently need the pill."

"Donna no."

"Why?"

"They knock me out."

"That's the point Josh."

"I don't want to be.."

"What? Asleep when the big bad men come to take Noah and I away from you?" She asked indignantly stepping closer to him.

"Donna."

"Josh?"

"Stop."

"Josh you need to talk-."

"I'm fine."

Donna ran her hands back through his hair and down his back before lifting herself onto her knee's at the edge of the bed. Josh pulled her to him gently, easing her body to his. She held him, smoothing her hand through his hair and down the back of his neck until his breathing slowed into sleep.

* * *

Sirens.. Sirens..

_**Ave Maria  
Gratia plena  
Maria, gratia plena  
Maria, gratia plena**_

_I'm going to die. This is what it feels like to die.. _

_**Ave, ave dominus  
Dominus tecum  
Benedicta tu in mulieribus  
Et benedictus**_

_Donna. I need Donna. _

"Your friend Curtis ..."  
"Yeah."  
"...is fixing my chair?  
"I'm throwing him some work."  
"And how much is Curtis charging the federal government to fix the wobbly wheel on my chair?"  
"He said he'd have to take a look at the job."

_  
**Et benedictus fructus ventris  
Ventris tuae, Jesus.  
Ave Maria **_

"We should get something temporary so that doesn't happen again."

_Our last conversation was about a chair? _

_I should have told her. _

_I should have told her everyday..._

_**Ave Maria  
Mater Dei  
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus  
Ora pro nobis**_

_So.. this is dying? Toby? _

Josh?

_**Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus  
Nunc et in hora mortis**_

_  
_Josh?

"Help me."

"Joshua open your eyes. Look at me and breath."

_**Et in hora mortis nostrae  
Et in hora mortis nostrae  
Et in hora-. **_

****

"Josh breath baby. That's it. Slowly. In and out slowly. Just like that. That's it."


	7. Drugged

**A/N **

**Thanks so much for all the reviews.. keep them coming! Anyone baffled by my spelling... shall we say... inconsistancies... go to my profile and read my disclaimer.. I think I fixedthe error..but.. i'm never sure... Anyway.. this story was supposed to be the big reconsilliation of everyone.. but so far i'm unable to channel my forgiveness.. so.. hang in there it will come.. **

**

* * *

**

Sam was trying to juggle two plates full of loose grapes and Noah at the same time and failing miserably.

"Let me help." CJ said softly reaching for the little boy. Instinctively, Sam spun on his heels and pushed the plates towards her outstretched hands instead, sending grapes rolling across the floor.

"Thanks." He breathed, shooting her a quick smile.

"I guess he's a little heavier then you're used too." She cocked her head towards Leo who sat happily in a high chair by his mother.

"He's not heavy.." Sam said a little more defensively than he imagined.

".. he's your brother's?" She said flatly.

"Something like that."

"Gape!" Noah demanded jetting his small hand out and snatching one off of the plate CJ was holding.

"Wow.. that was.. _Josh like_." She teased.

"He's probably starving." Again.. defensive.

"Are they coming down?" CJ looked worriedly at the stairs.

"Yes. Why?"

"I just mean.. if they wanted us to get started without them.."

"They'll be down when they get down." Sam dropped a donut on each plate and started to move past her.

"Sam.. Is everything alright?"

"What makes you ask?"

"Toby.. mentioned.." Sam's eyes met hers firmly, willing her not to say anything more. "He heard it.. All of you last night, the nightmare. You getting Dr. Bartlett.. He's right across the hall."

"And?" He held her eyes until she looked down at the plate.

"Nothing it's just.."

"It's fine CJ. I'm sure you won't get asked about it in the press room." He told her stoically.

"Hey." She said sharply putting her hand against his shoulder. "I wasn't-. I was just concerned."

For a few seconds, his eyes softened a little.

"Don't be." He told her before lying to her face. "We're fine."

* * *

Donna rubbed her thumb across his cheek, brushing back his scattered tears. He caught her hand in his as he pulled it down his face.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She whispered. "Having an episode?"

"Having an episode when you need me to be the strong one." He sniffed. "Having an episode because I was too damn stubborn to take the damn pill."

"It wouldn't have helped." She told him, pulling her body more tightly to his. "Not last night."

"It hasn't been like that in a while." He swallowed hard before taking a long staggered breath. "Not since the beginning."

"After everything that happened yesterday at the dedication, the footage from Roslyn, the threats, seeing everyone in one place.." She said soothingly. "It was the perfect mix of ingredients."

He nodded touching her face with his clammy hands.

"Maybe we shouldn't go today." She said softly. "We don't have too."

"The public opening is going to be press central. What's it going to look like if we don't go?"

"Who cares?" She shrugged.

"What my lovely wife meant to say is.. _what's it going to look like if you pull a major nutty in front of said press_." He smirked. She shook her head slowly.

"Your lovely wife knows that you are so pumped full of drugs the most embarrassing thing your capable of would be you falling up the library steps when your jello legs give out." He snickered again, remembering how he'd told her last night that the former first lady should be on hand to medicate all of his night terrors. She wiped another tear from his face. "Or you could bawl your eyes out in front of the reporters from Newsweek."

"We should have Annabeth start a rumor I'm allergic to New Hampshire." He sniffed back a few more tears, coughing slightly at the effort.

"They'll think you're being nostalgic. Sentimental even." The drugs made it nearly impossible for him to hold back emotionally.

"They'll call it _girly._" He quipped, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch.

"Are you ready to get in the shower?" She asked gently, kissing him sweetly beneath his eye as he nodded.

"Need help?" She asked genuinely.

"You know I love it when you're all randy in the morning Donnatella, but I'm pretty doped up." He smirked sliding up to a seated position and looking at his feet.

She slipped off the bed, flipped his garment bag open and started rummaging through it.

It took everything she had not to cry when she turned around and saw him still sitting there. She held her breath and waited.

"Donnatella?" His quiet voice let her know he knew she was watching.

"Joshua?" She listened to him sigh loudly, his head bobbing down and then up again.

"I need help."

* * *

"Hey." Sam looked up towards Josh's voice and watched him slowly make his way down the steps.

"Hi."

"Daaadddy!" Noah squealed, breaking away from Zoey and sprinting across the floor. Josh sunk down to his butt on the steps and collected Noah in his arms.

Sam noticed how Donna held her breath as Josh pulled himself to his feet holding Noah. She laid her hand softly on his arm. He gave her a quick nod before kissing her cheek and making his way down the steps. Relying heavily on the arm rest, before walking confidently to the table and sitting next to Ainsly.

"Good morning." Abbey Bartlett planted a kiss on Josh's forehead before gesturing for Donna to sit in the spot she was vacating. "Take your time. We're no where near ready." She chucked her finger at Jed who was lecturing Toby loudly about something while leaning forward on his cane for emphasis.

Sam saw how Donna's eyes fell over it. He knew that Josh's limp was more pronounced when he was tired, stressed or like now.. sufficiently drugged. He figured, correctly, that Donna was wondering how far away from a black oak carved cane he was.

CJ and Toby exchanged glances before Danny said something funny to break the tension that Josh seemed thankfully oblivious to.

Jed Bartlett turned around, giving the group a quick once over before breaking into a grin.

"What's next?"


	8. Discussion

"I've been thinking.. about what he said this morning." Toby told CJ slowly pouring himself another glass of wine before holding the bottle up towards Donna and Josh. Josh shot a bemused look at Donna who had narrowed her eyes at Toby, who rolled his eyes when he realized he'd just asked a pregnant woman and her drugged up husband if they wanted a drink. 

"What?" CJ asked handing Toby Ainsly's glass.

"_What's next_." Toby told her pouring for Sam next. "It's our title."

"Yeah?" She grinned. "I thought you were set on _'Chess with Jed'_?

"I'll use that for my memoirs." He told her raising an eyebrow, her grin widened. "My tell all story.."

"I smile because your joking." She whispered.

"Still not telling all, huh CJ?" Sam said quickly.

"Sam." Ainsly looked at her husband with a warning look.

"What? You want me to post a list of our dirty little secrets in the back Sam?" She tilted her head and gave him that smile. The one that said I'm about to eat you alive.

Toby looked to Josh shoot him a commiseratory roll of the eyes. Josh's eyes were glued on Sam. Donna caught Toby's glance with a sad sentimental look.

"No. I want you to tell the truth." He told her flatly. That was Sam's way, flat, emotionless, but at the same time making you feel like you were about to tell him there was no Santa Clause.

"I was planning on it."

"Were you?"

"Sam, if you have something to add.." She shook her head. "Write your own damn book."

"Bartlett's not my greatest achievement." Sam snipped.

"Samuel Seaborn." Ainsly said softly.

"I'm going to pretend like you didn't just-."

"Yeah." He looked down at his hands before glancing at his best friend and shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry.. I did say it."

"Sam." Donna whispered. Josh put his hand on his knee and shook his head.

"I love that man. I love Jed Bartlett.. he's a brilliant, amazing, kind man but he made mistakes CJ. He was fallible. He was.. even bumbling at times. He made mistakes, big ones. He lied CJ. To us.. to the public.. to himself. He lied."

Sam felt Ainsly stiffen before he heard her anguished whisper.

"Sir." She started to her feet instinctively.

"Mrs. Seaborn, you our a guest in my home and I'm no longer the bumbling president." He said shaking his head and motioning for her to sit. Sam raised his chin to meet Bartlett's face. "Don't worry Sam. I heard the amazing and brilliant parts too." Sam gave him a sheepish grin. "Get out your notes CJ. What else Sam?"

"We.. we.." He looked at Josh who smiled at him.

"We bumbled too sir." Lyman provided. "We made a mess of simple things, managed to clean it up by the skin of our teeth and then patted our backs on a job well done. Well except Toby."

"Toby never patted my back." Sam snorted. "Not once."

"Maybe if you weren't such a baby." Toby snickered. "We did good things too Josh. The Supreme Court, that was a good thing.."

"Because I'm brilliant and my in-laws knew how to compromise on pet selection." He smirked. Donna giggled.

"Pet selection"

"Donna's parent's cats gave Josh a moment of clarity on the Supreme Court appointments, Sir." Ainsly whispered. " Sam and I base our marriage on the Supreme Cat Principle."

"Because I'm brilliant."

"Glad to see your feeling better Josh." Toby laughed.

"They're my parents cats." Donna muttered.

"And you were my muse." He said in his 'finest bagels' voice. She shot him a look. "Are.. my... muse.." She gave him a quick satisfied smile.

"And she's doing a wonderful job, Josh. This administration has been.. amazing in what they've been able to accomplish." Jed Bartlett leaned back in his chair. He wanted to add that Leo would be proud, but he wasn't sure how up to that Josh's psyche was tonight.

"Leo would be proud." CJ said it for him.

Everyone froze, except for Donna who was smoothing Josh's hair back in slow strokes. She smiled at him when he met her eyes, grinning.

"It's okay, his name can be mentioned in my company." He snorted, trying to suppress a laugh. "I try to spend a lot of time thinking 'What Would Leo Do'." He looked at CJ. It was the first time he'd acknowledged the tattered yellow post it she'd left for him in the middle of his desk. She dropped her eyes from his and smiled. "Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't, but I always think better when I consider his option."

"So did I Josh." Bartlett whispered. "So did I."


	9. Distance

_Sigh_. 

Ainsly Hayes Seaborn rolled her eyes in the back of her head and waited. She had one more in her. One more sigh to suffer through in silence before she blew.

_Sigh._

"For the love of God, Sam, spit it out!" She hissed careful not to wake up Leo and Noah sleeping in their 'pack and plays' nearby.

"What?" He said cluelessly, she grit her teeth.

"What ever you have been lamenting over there for the last two hours." She said in a remarkably calm voice.

"I insulted him."

"Sam."

"In his own home." His voice quickened. "I insulted the Former President of the United States, that I helped get elected -twice mind you- in his own home."

"Sam he said it was fine."

"He _said_ that, but did he mean that?"

"Well if he didn't that can't rightly be your fault now can it. It's not your job to interpret the mans thoughts." She reminded him.

"It was though. For five and a half years, it was."

"Toby leaked top secret military information, Samuel." She reminded. "I think his presence proves Jed Bartlett is a pretty forgiving guy. Don't you?"

"I guess." He turned onto his side and pressed face against the ball of her shoulder, blowing out a stream of hot air.

"Why did you?" She asked quietly.

"What?" He moved his eyes up to her face as she turned towards him.

"Why did you insult him?" She put her hand on his cheek for a second as he thought.

"Josh mostly." He said to quickly. "To protect Josh. He's my best friend. I'm his deputy. He's like a brother to me."Sam blew out another long breath. "Okay maybe not mostly." He rolled back onto his back Ainsly propped herself up so she could see his face. "I wanted to fix it. I wanted it back."

"You wanted what back?" He said nothing. "Sam?"

"Us. All of us. Friendship. I want to sing show tunes and get drunk and shoot pool and dance at shady honky-tonk bar. I want my friends back." She rolled over now, spooning up to her husband and stroking his chest. "I don't know if we can ever have that again."

"You can Sam. You were right though. You can't have it until it's all out in the open."

"Until reality sets in on CJ." He whispered. "You'd have thought that Toby would be the most screwed up, or Josh. Hell most people would pick Josh." He shook his head. "But CJ.. she's never quiet recovered. Probably from the MS thing. Who knows. Not me. I ran."

"Stop it."

"I did." He asserted, tilting his chin to his chest to smirk at her.

"You pursued other avenues because you are a man of integrity." She pressed her finger down into his chest to accent her point.

"I ran away because I was tired of people I believed in letting me down." He told her honestly. This time she sighed. "If Leo were here."

She listened to the way he swallowed the lump in his throat. It was the same one he always swallowed when he spoke of him.

"He would lay it all out on the table and make us look at it. Examine it. He'd give CJ that quirky open mouthed eye thing and say her name in that low soothing voice and she'd break like a twig." He snorted out a breathy laugh.

"Maybe you should try."

"The eye thing?"

"Laying it all out."

"I did. I couldn't do it."

"Bartlett?"

"No." He said quickly. "Toby maybe. If Josh weren't so preoccupied with his own mess." He stopped and she pushed her head up until it was touching his chin. "I don't know if we'll ever get back there."


	10. Duos

"Jed stop."

Abbey Bartlett smacked her hand down on to her husbands leg. It was beyond her how even with his advancing MS, he could still shake the bed enough to keep her awake at night.

"He was right."

"Yes Jethro.. he was. The secrets out. You are fallible." She said in exasperation. "Now stop shaking the damn bed and go to sleep."

"I was too careful."

"You're a careful guy."

"Santos is.."

"A different guy."

"A fearless guy with nothing to hide. He doesn't care what people think of him. He's not careful. He goes for what he wants. He's bipartisan. He's got Josh snuggling up to Republicans."

"Josh is older now. He's not the same guy."

"He's a different guy?"

"Jed?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a good guy." She rolled onto her side and looked at him in the dark of the room. He gave her a soft smile. "Go to sleep."

"Yeah." He laid there for a long time in silence. If she didn't know him like she did, she'd have thought he was asleep.

"What?" She whispered into the room.

"I failed them back then."

"You made it up to them." She told him soothingly.

"Not to Sam."

* * *

CJ watched Danny hang up his phone from the corner of the room.

"Taylor's fine." He told her softly.

"How's Mary Ellen?" She raised an eyebrow.

"My sister is tickled to be spending this quality time with her young niece." He said dismissively.

"Wow." She grinned. "I think I've been replaced as the master of the spin."

"She's fine." He watched his wife fish her earrings out of her ears and move her hands through her hair. "Are Charlie and Toby still down there?"

She grinned again walking over and joining him on the bed.

"They're playing chess."

"And?"

"Zoe's watching them." She raised and eyebrow.

"Play chess?" Danny shook his head slightly.

"Yup." CJ nodded. "She's riveted."

"So.. He realizes she's waiting up for him right?"

"I have no idea." She moved her hands to the zipper of her dress, but Danny caught her and did it for her. "Probably not, she wasn't wearing her _'I'm waiting for you to take me to bed_' T-shirt." His eyebrow arched higher.

"I'd like to know where I can get one of those T-shirts." She leaned forward and let him kiss her.

"Would you let Sam hold Huck or Molly for you?" She asked absently.

"Huck and Molly are like seven." He shook his head and went for another kiss.

"I'm just saying..." Her eyes widened and she put her hands on his shoulders, expressing the seriousness of her question.

"I don't know. It's someone else's kid." He relented, realizing there would be no kissing until this was dealt with.

"But it's Sam." She said defensively.

"Yeah.." He pondered this for a minute. "I would probably let him hold one of the enormous eight year olds that I was for some reason carting around. Yes." He told her raising both eye brows for her approval.

"Sam wouldn't let me hold Noah this morning." She said flatly. "He moved him away like I was on fire."

"CJ."

"I'm not kidding." She shook her head. "He was about to drop a whole bushel of grapes over the former first ladies dinning room floor and I reached out to help him and he spun Noah away and practically threw the grape plate at me."

"Grapes come in bushels?"

"Danny."

"They'd had a rough night." He said softly, reminding her of Josh's instability. "When crappy things happen you hold onto your kids a little tighter"

"It's not even his kid."

"Come on CJ.. The boy's name is Noah Samuel. He held him for the Mohel at his Briss. He was in the car the night Noah was born. He and Josh-."

"Okay, Okay.." She held up her hands. "It's just-. I mean God, he acted like I was going to grab him and run."

Danny looked down at his hands.

"What? You think I was planning on grabbing him and running?"

"I talked to David Spencer this morning at the thing."

"The guy from the post?" She shook her head at him in confusion.

"He wanted me to confirm a rumor he heard." He looked at her sympathetically, she hated that look. It was his _'Sweetheart I whish I didn't have to bring this crappy news into your world'_ look.

"What?"

"Apparently their have been some serious threats on Donna and Noah."

"Oh my God."

"They had her mail code. It came to her desk."

"Oh my GOD!"

"And apparently.. the guy knew privileged information that Josh and Donna hadn't made public yet.."

"The baby." She guessed, he raised his eyebrows at her. "Toby said Sam said.." She moved her arm in a circular motion and gave him a look.

"Ah, all hail the mightygrapevine."

"They threatened the baby?" She breathed.

"Apparently."

"Apparently or Yes?"

"CJ.." He shrugged. "Ask them."

"Yeah okay.. _Hey I know you barley trust me with your kids grapes but I just found out from a reporter that you threw a nutty because some psycho threatened to slaughter your family.. is that true?"_

"I see your point." He sucked air in through his teeth. "How 'bout _Josh I heard something disturbing and I thought you might want a heads up'?"_

"Maybe I should call Annabeth." She grabbed her phone.

"I'm sure she knows."

"Yeah but.."

"I'm sure she knows." He told her again. She loosened her grip on the Cell phone and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah." He kissed her cheek. "Taylor's fine?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Thank you, sir." Josh watched Donna stretch again beside him and he lowered his voice even more. "She thinks we should comment?" He waited for Santos' reply. Donna rolled away from him. "It wasn't one of my best days.. but I still know what day of the week it is and who the leader of the free world is." He grinned widely. "Helen Santos of course."

One of Donna's eyes struggled to open at the mention of her bosses name. He reached out and stroked her cheek until it closed.

"Donna gave me back my shoelaces today so you can probably cancel the rubber paneling for my office." He laughed out loud when the President told him in a fake defensive tone that he wanted to be compliant with the American's with Disabilities Act and provide all necessary adjustments. "Thank you Sir."

He chuckled more quietly as Donna's eyes slipped open.

"At seven thirty, Sir." He creased his eyebrows in an apology to his wife. "Goodnight Mr. President."

"What happened?" She asked slowly, creaping into his warmth. He took a deep breath and she looked at him. Her eyes filling with tears. "Another one?"

"No." He said quickly kissing her cheek. "The press has something" She swallowed against the tightness in her throat with a slow nod. "Annabeth wants us to downplay. She set Cindy Geiger from the Times up for us. She said to go ahead, make the comment and assure our complete trust in the Secret Service.. blah blah."

He kissed her head.

"She said if it's about the pregnancy and you don't want to say anything, just smile when they ask you."

"They'll still all know then if I.." Her voice trailed off.

"They didn't write it last time."

"Because Annabeth asked them not too."

"Well."

"She can't keep playing up the private emotional issue..."

"Donna your sixteen weeks." He reminded her. "And the amino was perfect."

"I know." She breathed out slowly.

"They're going to start putting you on the cover of the Washington Star with a close up of your stomach with a big red circle around it." He watched her lip twitch. "I see it in big red letters 'Does Lyman's dick still actually work after all these years?"

"Joshua!" She giggled swatting the arm he was using to block out his imaginary headline in the space above him.

"They'll ask me to do Viagra ads." He grinned at her giggling face. "They'll have you do testimonials to my manliness." The flash of relief in her eyes wasn't lost on him. "I think I'm feeling better all the sudden."

"Nothing like a conversation about your amazing sexual prowess to put you back in the right state of mind." It was so nice to see her smile. Josh leaned back towards her face, tracing his fingers over her lips.

"You put me back in the right state of mind." He said softly. "That one's all you." He met her eyes for a second. "We're going to be okay."

"I'm scared"

"I know." He held her tightly. "I'm terrified."

"When did everything become so scary?"

"The moment our son was born." He sighed, then his lips quirked into a smile as remembered the exact moment his son was born. "Which reminds me. You.. are not coming to any events anywhere in a four week vicinity of your due date."

"Don't worry. I'm already picking out what I'm going to hallucinate with the large amounts of narcotics I'm taking this time." She laughed.

"Most women pick out baby names." He smirked.

"She has a name." She told him timidly.

"She does." He said with finality, brushing his fingers across her stomach.

She'd been afraid to use the name. Josh knew it was some sort of detachment thing. Somehow if they didn't name her it wouldn't be real if she'd had another miscarriage. But Josh had known her name the second he'd read the copy of the amino results.

Johannah Abigail Lyman .

No argument, no discussion needed. It was just her name.

"Donnatella. We need to talk about the second letter." He didn't want her to hear about it in the press. It was time to tell her. "Sam told me somethings."

"I though he didn't read it?"

"He didn't." He closed his eyes for a second before taking a deep breath. "They know about the baby, Donna."

Her eyes widened.

"How..."

"They don't really know."

"What aren't you telling me?" He could feel her chest move faster. Then she stilled, holding her breath. The contrast made him jump a little. "They think it's someone we know."

"That's one possibility." He smoothed back her hair. "Or they could have gone through our trash, or it could be someone involved with Dr. Hilin's office..."

"I want a new doctor." She told him quickly.

"Okay."

"Do we need to move?" She asked innocently.

"The secret service is collecting our trash." He told her. She pressed her lips together.

"Huh." She blinked at that statement.

"Yeah."

"The Secret Service is..?"

"Yeah." He smirked.

"Okay." She smiled at him then. "You're feeling very important right now aren't you?"

"I am important."

"To yourself?"

"To our nation as a whole."

"51 percent of it anyway."

"I'm hurt. I am making great strides with our Republican brothers and sisters."

"Oh God why do I feel a muffin moment coming on here?"

"Your support warms my heart Donnatella." He whispered sarcastically pulling her tightly against him in the dark.


	11. Doing

Charlie opened the door to his room slowly, turning his head to the right and looking towards the main part of the house. All clear. He reached back into the room and pulled Zoey forward, and directly into the person to his left. 

"Dee!" She shouted with entirely too much alarm. "You.. scared me."

"If I were Uncle Jed." She smiled at Charlie reminding him of the twelve year old she'd been when he took the job with Bartlett. "The Secret Service would be killing you right now."

"What are you? Six?" He hissed as Zoey smiled down at her toes.

"Oh Uncle Jeh-ed!" She sang quietly.

"I'll kill you." He scoffed at his sister.

"I have an agent." She chucked her thumb back towards the man outside Josh and Donna's room.

"Why is that anyway? This is the last place the Chief of Staff needs protecting." He shook his head in irritation, until he caught Zoe and Deanna exchange glances. "What?" His little sister looked away. Charlie shifted his eyes to his.. whatever-she-was. "What?"

"Donna's gotten some letters." She said raising her eyebrows at him pointedly.

"Letters like we got?" His voice slipped quietly out of his throat. Zoey took his hand and squeezed it, nodding slowly. "Donna?"

"And Noah." Deanna whispered as she looked back at him with teary eyes. He pulled her to him protectively.

"You're being careful?" He muttered into her hair.

"Of course."

"Cause these people shoot-."

"..first and ask who they hit later. Ron's talked to me." She said softly looking at Zoey for support. "I know Charlie."

He nodded, letting his eyes fall on Zoey. She closed her own when she saw his expression. He pulled his hand out of her tightening grasp, kissed her cheek and walked away slowly. Deanna put her arm around her friends shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to-."

"It's alright. He has to get past it." She looked pointedly at Deanna. "If we're ever going to make this work, he has to get past it."

The door down the hall opened slowly and Donna slipped out of the room.

"Good morning, Ma'am." The agent said softly. "Will Mr. Lyman be joining you?"

"No.. he's.. going to need a few more minutes." She told him smiling and nodding her head like it was no big deal. Deanna watched her rub her hands over her exhausted face before leaning towards Zoe.

"It's not an easy thing to get past." She whispered, watching Donna glance back at the door before making her way hesitantly down the steps.

"Chicken Fighter's on the move (over)."

* * *

Josh pressed his hands against the sides of the pedestal sink, lifting up until he could see himself in the mirror. He looked like hell. This was getting ridiculous.

"I'm going down." He heard Donna say still sniffing back the tears from their argument. He opened his mouth to apologize, his eyes closing firmly as he heard the door click quietly shut.

He thought about the flash of fear that had crossed her features when he said what he'd said. Their was a buisness card on the bed next to his cell phone. He picked it up palming it. She'd written 'Please'on the back in her scratchy writing. He swallowed hard and dialed the phone.

"This is Josh Lyman. I have a feeling he's expecting my call." He said softly dropping down on the bed. "Stanley.." He rubbed his hands across his face. "I'm not doing so great actually. This morning I told my wife she would have been better off if she had never met me."

* * *

"Donna?" Sam put his hand on her arm.

"He's on the phone with Stanley." She blurted out. "He's.." She took a deep breath and met Sam's worried eyes. "We have to go back tomorrow and he's no where near ready."

"Yeah." Sam's answer was barely audible. He looked down at the ground.

"It's game on Sam. The primaries start next month and then the republican's are off and running and we're knee deep in it."

"Donna-."

"And the baby comes in twenty four weeks. Twenty four week's Sam. Now is the time when he has to focus. Now is the time where he needs to be on top of things."

"We'll get back to work. He'll get back to his routine. It'll be okay." She looked almost desperate to believe him. "You'll see."

She nodded at him before looking around the room.

"Where are the kids?"

"At the stable with the Bartlett's" He rubbed his hand across her back. "You should eat."

She nodded again walking over to the table.

* * *

"Fold." Toby said tossing the cards down on the table.

"CJ?" Sam said almost seductively.

"He's lying." Charlie told her with a quick grin.

"Oh.. don't you know, Charlie?" She said with more than her fair share of sarcasm. "Sam doesn't lie."

"Don't start this again." Danny moaned leaning his head back to the ceiling.

"Why not? We may never all be in the same place again." Toby muttered. "Why not now?"

"Fine." Sam looked quickly at Ainsly then back at CJ. "How 'bout you come out of your ivory tower and mingle with the rest of us."

Josh's eyebrows shot up to what was left of his hair line.

"Wow.. Spanky that was.. Wow."

"Wait a damn minute." Toby said leaning forward in towards them.

"No." CJ said sharply holding her hand up to him. "I'd like an explanation."

"So would I." Sam swallowed hard. "You made mistakes too CJ."

"I know that." She snapped at him.

"You and Danny were in DC last month for the thing with the times." Sam sounded wounded now. "You couldn't even call? You didn't want Taylor to see the White House?"

"We were all very busy."

"Why is Toby the only one who's met your daughter?"

"I didn't think you'd be up to Chuck e' Cheese! You have country to run."

"And we run it. And we go to Chuck e' Cheese." Josh looked hard a her for a second.

"Well Bravo, Joshua. One more reason why the Santos years will be better than the Bartlett years!" She snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Donna said softly.

"Nothing." She muttered.

"We are trying to be better." Josh told her. "We know better now. We were a bunch of Jr. High Kids back then. Now we've had some practice. Been there. Done that. Did that. Shouldn't have done that."

"You think we're being disloyal to him." Sam's mouth slipped open. "That's what this is all about?"

"I don't really think about you all that much." CJ watched Sam flinch.

"What's Taylor's name"

"What does that have to do with-?"

"CJ." It was worth a shot. Sam thought letting the word fall out of his mouth in the way only Leo could.

"Taylor Bartlett Concannon." Danny told Sam softly, nodding in understanding.

"My son's name is Leo Josiah." He told her softly. "They're family names."

CJ nodded slowly.

"I'm going to call your bluff." He told her spreading his hand out in front of himself. "Lay all the cards on the table." Sam brought his eyes back up to hers and held them. "Let the chips fall where they may"

* * *

The bar was loud and crowded and perfect.

"Just like old times." CJ smirked at Sam.

"I don't remember him from old times." Toby gestured at Nick who stood nearby, his eyes darting from Josh to the door.

"You get used to them." Josh muttered seeing CJ looking at him knowingly.

"Here!" Sam set four beers on the table. "On me." Josh pushed his away and held up the soda he was drinking.

"I promised Donna." He told Sam.

"God your wiped." CJ told him.

"And loving every minute of it." He laughed taking her hand and pulling her out towards the dance floor.

"Hey." Toby looked at Sam with a somber expression before taking his hand and firmly patting his back. "Good Job."

* * *

"Joshua." CJ didn't remember him being this able of a dancer.

"Claudia Jean?" He smiled.

"I owe you a few hundred apologies."

"I except them all." He pushed her away and spun her back to him. "Just don't let it happen again."

"You really are doing an amazing job."

"Practice makes perfect." He told her with a deeply serious expression crossing his features for a split second. "Not everything's a breeze though"

"I heard." She told him. He pulled her back towards him and slowed down. "About the letters. A reporter asked Danny." He nodded. "I'm so sorry Josh."

"Bet that's something you don't miss?" He told her, moving his hand across her back protectively. "Getting threats. Getting shot at. Worrying someone's going to kidnap your daughter."

"I can't imagine." She rolled her eyes. "As if the job's not hard enough."

"Some days it's unbelievably ridiculous."

"Now that I can imagine all to well." She told him.

"How's Donna?" They'd stopped dancing when the song changed. He pulled her towards the bar.

"It's been hard." He looked down and picked at a napkin. "She um.. She had a miscarriage last year."

"Oh God Josh I had no idea."

"Annabeth asked the press not to.." He trailed off, making a sweeping motion with his hand. "It hit her really hard. She blamed herself. Her job. Now all this."

"And you?"

"It's been a long week." He blew out a long breath before nodding. "But I'll be alright." He looked up at her and smiled. "I have everything I ever wanted and as scary as that is?" A slow smile spread across her face. "It's amazing."

"I know." She told him.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Sometimes." She sighed nastalgically. "When I watch Annabeth brief, and I'm shouting out responses to the press pool from my living room sofa."

"What would it take to get you back there?" He blinked at her.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Four years from now?" He looked at her with all seriousness. "I'll be putting Sam in office. And I think you should be his Chief."


	12. Decisions

"You want me to be his what?" CJ looked at Josh Lyman like he was insane. 

"Chief of Staff." He raised his eyebrows seriously.

"You are joking." His face held a firm expression. "Tell me your joking. I hated being Chief of Staff, Josh!"

"It's different. I promise. It'll be different." He was telling her. She looked around the room.

"I have a family." She said breathlessly.

"So do I. So does Sam." He shook his head like she was a moron.

"Josh. We should be talking about how Sam's going to be your chief."

"I'm not going to run CJ." He looked back down at the bar.

"It's the next logical-." Her eyes were wide, still trying to get a handle on his plan.

"I'm not going to run." He told her firmly. "It's Sam."

"Then you should stay on as-."

"CJ. I'll be over fifty." He looked back up at her.

"Leo was-."

"I-. I'd like to make it to sixty." His mouth twitched into a tight grin. "I don't want to beLeo. It's not fair to Donna, to my kids. Come on CJ we both know my body can't handle eight more years of 100 hr. work weeks."

He watched the alarm creep across her face.

"Josh is this about your heart?"

"No." He shook his head. "It's still beating. Nothing's changed. My blood pressures too high. I eat crap and have too much stress..." He moved his hand in a circular motion. "This is about my life. I'm done CJ."

"Donna wants out?" She squinted her eyes at him before glancing back towards Sam and Toby.

"Donna will make up her own mind when the time comes." He told her softly, before looking down and tapping his hands on the bar. "You'll need to get back in the game CJ. Get back on the circuits. Remind people you're amazing."

"Josh I can't-."

"Think about it." He pulled himself off of the bar stool and started towards their friends. "Talk to Danny.."

"What does Sam say about all this?" She called after him.

"Good question. Come on, lets go tell him." He gave her one of his best Josh Lyman grins, winking as he made his way back to the table.

* * *

"Spanky.. Spanky.. Spanky.." CJ chanted as Josh guided her up the walk towards the house.

"Tonight I drink from the keg of.. keg of.." He scrunched up his face and looked at Josh. "What's it the keg of again?"

"Glory." Josh chuckled, shaking his head back and forth.

"I drink from the gleg of kory!"

"Shh. Sam shut up." Toby whispered loudly.

"That's Future President Seaborn to you." He quipped.

"Fine. Shut up Mr. President." He growled. Josh gestured to the agent at the door and he pushed it open and moved CJ through it.

"Oh God." Donna whispered, stopping her conversation with Charlie and looking up from the couch she was sharing with Ainsly. "Josh Lyman I swear if I smell one drop of alcohol on you-."

"It'll be from one of the seven times CJ spilled her drink on me." He smirked setting his charge in a chair and kissing his wife. "Satisfied?"

"You should know by now it takes more than that to-."

"Donnatella." He shook his head.

"Danny Boy!" CJ yelped as her husband wandered back into the room.

"Good Lord." A slow grin spread across his face. "Look at you."

"Yes.. Yes.. I'm.." She shook her head. " I'm Josh."

"Hey!" He protested flopping down on the couch beside Donna.

"Samuel Seaborn I'm surprised at you!" Ainsly admonished, not at all surprised.

"You are not." He grinned.

"Hell yes I am." She grinned.

"First Ladies shouldn't talk like sailors." He muttered to her.

"I'll talk however-. First what?" She looked at him like he was crazy.

"Ladies." He said again. "You have five years to work on that."

"Sam's gonna be President." CJ told Danny as a matter of fact, nodding her head seriously. "Josh said so."

"Well then. It must be true." Charlie added softly from the chair he and Zoey were sharing. "Josh said so."

"Shut up! Or you'll be off the short list for my Deputy." CJ threatened. She looked at Danny. "I'm gonna be Sam's COS." Her eyes lit up suddenly and she turned her head to face Josh. "Hey! Hey! Can Danny be Communication's director? Can he Josh?"

"We'll talk about it." He told her nodding his head at Danny in amusement.

"It would be-. Hey! We could do that thing in the press room like we-." Danny Concannon clapped his hand over his wife's mouth.

"Okay time for bed." He said softly. "Toby?"

"I'm flattered Danny really but I'm not really into that kind of thing." He muttered rubbing his face.

"Come on. I'm not sitting in first class with you and her for five hours unless you've slept it off." Danny told him.

"Okay Dad!" The bald man yelled stomping up the stairs after his friends

"You too Mr. President." Ainsly smirked hauling Sam to his feet. "Bed time." He wandered up the stairs in front of her humming Hail to the Chief.

"So. You unleashed the plan?" Donna raised an eyebrow at her husband.

"I think Jim Beam unleashed the plan. I just started a rumor." He told her pointedly, laying his head on her shoulder. "Look at them."

She followed his eyes to Charlie and Zoe who were busy stacking up the glasses and plates left on the coffee table. He'd stopped, leaning over and tangling his hand through her short hair. She smiled at him.

"They remind me of us back in the day." He told her.

"Except they get to have sex." Donna told him.

"Hey guess what?" He lifted his head and whispered in her ear. "So do we."

"Goodnight you guys." Donna called to them softly as she let Josh pull her to her feet.

"Donna about this morning-." She stopped on the stair in front of him and turned around.

"You talked to Stanley?" He nodded. "You make an appointment?" Another nod. "Do you promise not to ever say anything like that again?"

He nodded for a third time taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it.

"Okay then."

* * *

"Sam Seaborn I rue the day I met you." CJ said pressing the cup of coffee to her head. "You and your nostalgic illusions of our glorious nights out."

"That's no way to talk to your Commander and Chief CJ." Ainsly chuckled, guiding a groggy Sam to the table, before settling Leo into his highchair.

"_'Let's go out.'_ He says. _'It will be like old times'_ he says.'" She growled.

"It was like old times." Josh smiled.

"Only you are the only one who isn't hung over and who didn't make an ass out of himself last night." She said pointing a wobbly finger at Lyman before groaning and pulling her hand back to her head.

"Here." Danny said pulling the mug away and handing her a piece of toast.

"I don't recall making an ass out of myself." Toby grumbled.

"Really? You don't recall your giggling karaoke rendition of '_Ground Control to Major Tom_?" Sam asked watching his friend wince.

"Besides that." He smirked.

"That was.. something else." Josh snickered.

"I was trying to be ironic." Toby announced.CJ caught the slow smile that crept across his face.

"Oh it was." Sam muttered tearing toast into small pieces for Leo.

"Nooooo!" Came an anguished whine as Noah Lyman tore into the room, with his diaper hanging on by one tab and his mother right behind him.

"Joshua!" She hollered in exasperation. "Will you grab your child please!"

"No yelling!" He hollered back playfully, grabbing Noah and swinging him up towards Sam. With out a word, Seaborn stuck the other tab in place pulled Noah down on to his lap and gave him a ripped piece of toast. Josh took Donna by the arm and lowered her into her chair. "Eat."

CJ watched in awe as Ainsly kept her eyes on the papers in front of her as she reached her arm out. Josh peeled a Banana while making faces at Noah, before dropping it into Ainsly's hand with out so much as a glance.

"You four are like the poster family for Polygamy." CJ muttered as the republican broke it in two and gave a piece to each child.

"You should see them when you throw Peter and Miranda into the mix." Deanna called from the stairwell with a pack and play hanging from each arm. "That's when it really gets fun."

"Dee! I told you Sam and Josh would get those!" Donna admonished rushing to her assistant.

"It's okay I have help." She gestured her head back towards the stairs where Charlie was struggling with the two bulky car seats. "We're running late."

"We are not!" Donna yelled looking at her watch. "We are? We are! I still have to.."

"I'll help." Ainsly got to her feet and hurried after Donna who had already slipped past Charlie on the stairs.

"Josh anytime you and President Seaborn want to give us a hand here." Charlie murmured turning one of the seats sideways in an attempt to get down the stairs.

Josh looked at Sam and the toddlers. Sam looked back at him.

"Why don't.." He looked towards the group for a minute. "Why don't you give Noah to CJ and come give me a hand?"

A slow smile spread across CJ's face as Sam stood and hesitantly lowered Josh's son onto her lap. He put his hand on Leo's head for a second before nodding at her and making his way over to Josh.

CJ peeled her eyes away from Josh, glancing quickly at Danny and Toby before running her hands across Noah's curly head.

"Hi, mi amore." she said softly to the little boy. He tilted his head to the side in a Donna like gesture before unleashing the dimpled smile.

"Hi." He said back loudly. Leo took that as his cue and let out a yell.

"Well.. hi to you to Spanky." She reached out and touched the baby's chubby face. "You must get that from your mother."

Josh put his hand on Sam's back and swung one of the pack and play's at him before grabbing a car seat from Charlie.

"Come on." He coaxed. "They'll be okay."

"Yeah." Sam breathed, his mouth twitching up into a small smile as Noah lifted the banana to CJ's lips and she pretended to take a bite. "Okay."


	13. Default

_two months later.. Washington DC_

Sam Seaborn made his way across the hall to his best friends office. He looked at Peter.

"Call Donna."

The man's eyebrow arched for a second before he hit the button on the phone.

"Dee I need Donna." Sam heard him mutter watching Ron Butterfield move in from the door way and turn to Nick with a quick nod. Sam pushed the door open, and watched him for a minute.

"Josh?" He looked up from his desk, his forehead creasing into a tight line when he saw Ron. "We have something."

* * *

"Where's Noah?" Josh yelped the second Donna's feet hit the floor of his office.

"Ainsly's picking him and Leo up and taking them to the East Wing." Sam said quickly.

Donna looked from Sam to her husband before turning to Ron.

"What's happening?"

"We have a situation." Ron told her softly.

"It's them." Josh told her rubbing his hand across his face.

"What's who?" She asked as her faced creased into her 'concerned for Josh' expression.

"Them! _Them_..." He pointed hisfinger against his chest and rubbed his face again.

"It's the same group, from Roslyn." Sam told her softly. "West Virgina White Pride."

"That's not possible." She muttered.

"Of course it is." Josh looked around like a caged animal. "They want to finish the job Donna!"

"But it wasn't about you." She said her voice almost pleading. "It was about Charlie and Zoey."

"Oh my God Charlie." Sam turned to Ron. "Someone needs to warn him that-."

"An agent is on the way to bring him and Zoe here." Ron assured him. "We've contacted the Bartlett's."

"I have to call the.." Josh trailed off and rubbed his face again. "I need to.."

"Josh sit down." Sam told him, moving around to the other side of the desk and standing beside his friend.

"I'm fine." He snapped. "I have work to do. I-" He shook his head, trying to bring the room back into focus.

"Josh." Donna said softly. He lifted his face to her gaze, closing his eyes and dropping into his chair.

"I got it Josh." Sam told him moving towards the outer office.

"What do we do?" Lyman asked, propping his elbows on the desk and leaning his head into his hands.

"Exactly what we've been doing." Ron told him. Josh let out a snort and Donna slowly made her way behind the desk and started rubbing circles on his back.

"And what exactly is that going to do?" He murmured.

"We're still alive Josh." Donna said softly.

"I have to resign." He said softly, looking up at her.

"Ron, could you step out for a moment?" Donna said sharply, her eyes never leaving Josh's face.

"Yes Ma'am."

She waited for the door to close.

"What in the hell are you-?"

"I'm going to get you killed." He said softly.

"Josh!" She put her hands on his cheeks and held his gaze on her. "This is not you're fault. This is not because of you."

He closed his eyes, and she let his head bob forward against her hip. He ran his hand over the roundness of her abdomen.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything-."

"Stop." She whispered, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Just don't." He nodded and she continued. "I'm going to call The First Lady and reassure her that her kids are alright. Then I'm going to wait for Charlie and Zoey." She lifted his head back up. "Then you are going to finish up early and meet us in the East wing. We are going to have pizza because it's Miranda's turn to pick and she always picks pizza. When The President and Mrs. Santos get back tomorrow, we'll all sit down with Ron and the agents and talk this out."

* * *

"This is all my fault." Deanna rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Yeah. Damn you for being black." She quipped.

"Dee." He snapped.

"Okay.. then damn you for loving me?" Zoey asked, lightly touching her engagement ring. Deanna caught the gesture and rolled her eyes again.

"Yeah.. because white supremacy groups never existed or went after innocent people, especially Jews, before you two started having sex." Dee shook her head wildly.

"Only Jews with Shiska wives." Donna announced moving into the room. "And sorry guys, it can't be your fault. Josh has already decided it's his fault." Lyman moved into the room behind his wife and shot her a dirty look. "Besides.. none of us would have been here anyway if your father hadn't run for president eleven years ago. I mean.. how could he?" She shook her head at Zoey who smiled back at her. "Why he never considered this..?"

"Okay okay." Charlie rolled his eyes. "Where are the kids?"

"Sam and Ainsly have them in the dinning room." Josh sighed still shaking his head at Donna.

"Is it pizza again?" Dee asked like she was in pain.

"Miranda's pick." Sam muttered from the doorway. "It's getting cold."

"Shiska wives." Josh whispered to Donna as they followed the others out of the room.


	14. Defense

"We can't just arrest them?" Matt Santos asked shaking his head back and forth.

"Sure." Josh growled. "We'll just walk into their **office** in West Virgina and say 'Anyone who wants The Lymans dead raise your hand.'"

"Josh." Donna moaned pressing her fingers more firmly into the bicep she was clutching.

"It's not that easy, Sir." Ron explained. "Even if we knew who to arrest, we wouldn't have enough for a trial."

"How are these not enough?" He shook the copies of the now four letters at the man.

"It's not that easy sir." He looked at Sam for help.

"It would be like saying the 'British are trying to kill Josh. Lets go arrest them.'" Sam explained.

"The British?" Josh balked.

"We can't arrest everyone in and around Britain." Santos said softly.

"What the hell did I do to Britain?" Josh grumbled at his wife.

"Joshua.." Donna pinched his arm.

"You should send them a muffin basket." He sighed. "Oh and Ouch."

"Shh." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Is he drunk?" Lou asked suddenly turning her gaze from Josh to Sam.

"No." Sam said stiffly. "If he was, you wouldn't have to ask."

"If we were drunk maybe we could make some sense of all this." The Chief of Staff muttered.

"If you were drunk you'd quote Socrates and barf on Donna's shoes." Sam rolled his eyes.

"One time." Josh shook his head. "One time with the Socrates."

"Many many times with the shoes." Donna quipped.

"So what do we do?" Helen Santos asked tossing her hands into the air.

"I think that it's best that Donna and the children stay close to home. No trips, no public appearances." Ron told them.

"We're in the middle of a campaign!" Donna's eyes widened.

"You were going to have to slow down next month because of the baby anyhow." Josh told her flippantly. "What else?"

"We keep the precautions in place, extra agents. Enclosed event sites. Keeping you and the President as separate as possible." Josh nodded.

"That complicates the campaign." Sam cast a glance at Josh. He was looking at Santos.

"I have to go to West Virgina." He said absently.

"Excuse me?" Donna shook her head. "You have to _what_?"

Santos looked horrified. Sam merely nodded.

"You go, I go." Charlie said from the couch where he'd sat quietly. A flash of fear crossed Zoey's face before nodded with a proud smile.

"Me too." She took Charlie's hand in hers.

"We make a statement." Lyman nodded.

"And get yourselves shot." Santos exclaimed.

"Ah.. wouldn't be the first time." He winked at his wife before brushing his hand across her face. "We can't cower, Donnatella. We have to face it head on."

"Can you at least wait until your daughter is born before you go on your suicide mission?" Donna said softly.

Josh watched her brush back Noah's curls in the dark. The stream of light from the bedroom window cascading over her teary face. He reached over their son and brushed them away.

"Donna." He pleaded, hooking his finger under her chin and lifting her eyes to his. "We can't hide from this."

"Zoe called her mother from my office. I could hear Abbey shouting from across the room." She sniffed. "It's a bad idea Josh."

"It's not."

"Josh I-." The phone interrupted her statement and Josh squinted his eyes to look at the clock. It was just past midnight. He leaned over Donna's shoulder and picked up the receiver.

"Yeah?" He muttered impatiently.

"_Have you completely lost your mind!_"

"CJ." He sighed. "I see the grapevine wasted no time in-."

"_Put Donna on_." She demanded.

"How do you know she's even awake?"

"_You announced today that your going up against West Virgina White Pride and you expect me to believe your wife is sleeping soundly next to you_?" Josh glanced at Donna as she watched Noah's face.

"It's twelve ten here CJ." He announced.

"_Yes.. and It's nine ten here Joshua, and all is not well. Put Donna on_."

He sighed again and stuck the phone out towards her.

"CJ?" She asked him with a bemused grin.

"What gave it away?" He asked softly hating himself for the fear in her tired eyes.

"I'm in tune to you." She took the phone, never breaking her gaze from his. "Hey CJ."

"_Has he lost what's left of his damn mind_?" She demanded. Donna's eyes drifted shut.

"He has to do something CJ." She murmured, missing the slow smile that tugged at his lips. "It's driving him crazy being on the defensive. It's time to play offense."

"_Have you gone mad_?" CJ huffed.

"No." She whispered. "Not yet."

"_There's no talking him out of it?_" Donna met his eyes again.

"Not a chance." Donna whispered as Josh wiped more tears off her face before collecting Noah in his arms and carrying him to his own bed. "He wants to do what's right. He wants this all to be over. I want this all to be over.."

"_How are you_?" Her friend asked tiredly.

"Scared." Donna squeaked as Josh moved back into the room. "I'm really scared."

He sat on the bed running his hands across her back as she talked to CJ.

"_You tried to talk him out of it?_" The former press secretary sighed.

"Have you ever tried to talk him out of something?" Donna laughed.

"_You're good at it though._" She whined. "_Lots of practice_."

"I choose my battles these days CJ."

"_Put him on_." CJ ordered.

"Kay."

"_Donna_?"

"CJ?"

"_It's a very brave thing, what he's doing._" She told her.

"Yeah," Donna turned her head to look up at him. "It is."

"You got it?" Sam lifted his head to the door of his office and nodded at his best friend. By the way he was leaning diagonally against the frame, Sam figured he'd been there for a while.

"Do you want me to try and talk you out of this again?" He asked blinking blankly at him.

"No." He said quickly.

"Zoey's still going?" He asked looking back down at the paper.

"Yeah. I guess President Bartlett finally talked Abbey down from the ceiling, because she's not." He rubbed his head for a second. "Is that it there?"

Sam nodded, gathering the papers and holding them out to Josh. He stood motionless for one more second before moving forward and taking them. His eyes skimmed along the page as Sam watched.

"This is..." He mumbled. "This is really good."

"Yeah, I guess I had some left over.."

"Anger?" Josh guessed, his eyes widening over the words.

"Sentiments." Sam corrected.

"Your sentiments are felt." Josh sniffed.

"Too much?" Sam watched his best friend's head shake.

"No, I think we share the.."

"Anger?"

"Sentiments." Josh looked up and smiled before making his way slowly into the office.

"When are you leaving?"

"In a few-. I need to do a thing." He took a breath and dropped into Sam's visitors chair. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to.."

"What?" Seaborn watched the other man pale. "Josh?"

"Donna." He said suddenly. The word shooting out of his mouth like a bullet. "I need to know that you'd.." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

"Take care of Donna." Sam finished with a nod, shaking his head slowly before it tipped up towards the ceiling.

"I need to know if anything happened, in West Virgina, in Washington, on the car ride to work-." He waited for Sam to look at him. "I need to know you would take care of Donna, the kids, and my mother for me."

"Josh." Sam's voice was soft and pleading. He hated this whole topic of conversation.

"I need to know." He said quickly.

"You know I would." Sam told him firmly looking away.

"I needed to hear it." Josh whispered following Sam's eyes to the shelf, his own falling on the picture of Leo.

"I said it." Sam swallowed hard.

"I heard it." Josh told him looking reluctantly at his watch.

"You should.." Sam looked from the watch to the door.

"Yeah." Josh muttered, glancing back at the statement Sam had written for him. "This is really good."

"Yeah." He agreed as Josh started for the door.

"I'll call you from the-." Josh shouted back over his shoulder.

"Yeah." He called watching his friend head down the hall.

Donna Lyman watched her husbands face carefully he promised his son a present from West Virgina. He kissed Noah's nose and handed him back to Deanna who was pulling away from Zoe.

"Be careful." She told her future sister-in-law, shooting an anguished look at her brother.

"We will." He told her pulling Zoe back towards the plane.

Josh smiled at them before turning back to his wife. She hadn't broken her gaze from him. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her eyes with his. He dropped one hand and moved it in small circles over her pregnant belly. She brought her hand to his cheek and held it there.

"It's going to be fine."

"Peter's got everything." She said softly. She'd meticulously gone over his medication rituals with Josh's assistant for the thirtieth time. The man had patiently let her despite knowing every word by heart. "He has Stanley on speed dial Joshua so there is no excuse."

"I'll call him from the car on the way back." He told her. "Right after I call you." He leaned his forehead against hers and kissed her. "I'm okay."

"Okay." She whimpered.

"As for you, the rules are in full force Donnatella. Let Ainsley take care of Noah." He reminded her. "Helen said she'd block CNN off of the TV in your guest room if she had too. So don't overdose on it."

"Okay." She smiled as the tears started to fall over her shaking lips.

"I'll be home in two days." He reminded, pulling back to look at her.

"I'll be waiting." She told him.

"I'll be there." Josh pushed the hair off of her damp face. "I promise." She nodded, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Josh?" Charlie called softly.

"Yeah." He called back pulling slowly away from his wife and making his way to the plane. She watched him walk backwards the first few steps until Deanna had put her arm around her and started guiding her towards the car.

"I'll see you Sunday." He called as he started up the steps. She nodded before ducking into the limo.


	15. Dogs

**A/N: Sorry it's beenso long.. I moved and still do not have a phone line. So It's hard to post. More should be up soon! **

* * *

She was worried about the cars now. Her agent wasn't sure exactly why, maybe a hold over from Gaza or maybe something to do with being so close to having the baby and how she'd given birth in the backseat of a motorcade limousine three years ago. She wasn't sure, but the cars made her boss nervous. Today they were making her crazy.

"Someone stays with them?" She asked Ana again, turning up her eyebrow inquisitively, despite the serious line of her mouth. "The whole time? Watching them?"

The agent nodded again.

"They're kept in a secured area, and watched." Ana told her.

"The area is secured by dogs?"

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" The woman screwed her face up at the question.

"Dogs." Donna repeated. "Bomb sniffing dogs."

"I'm not sure about the dogs, Ma'am." Ana whispered as they walked towards Donna's office. The first lady's COS looked at her assistant.

"Deanna call Ron and tell him I want bomb sniffing dogs." Donna said sharply. Dee rolled her eyes, Ana shrugged her shoulder at her in defeat. Donna watched her pick up the phone before moving into her office.

"Sam?" She cast a glance over her shoulder Ana closed the door. "Donna wants me to call Agent Butterfield and demand bomb sniffing dogs."

"_The car thing again_?" He moaned.

"Yeah."

"_She needs to have this baby already._" Deanna pictured him running his hand over his face. "_Okay. I'm sending Ainsley over to get her to go upstairs and lie down._"

"So do I call Mr. B?" She rolled her eyes, he'd stopped being Mr. B when she turned twenty. "Agent Butterfield?"

"_You.. probably.. Yeah you should."_ He sighed loudly. "_Donna's freakishly right about things." _

"Don't I know it." Dee laughed. "I'll pack her up for the residence."

"_Are you coming up to watch it with us?_" Sam asked her quietly. Deanna held her breath. "_Dee_?"

"I guess so." She whispered.

"_Good. I'll see you in an hour_."

* * *

"._. And if you want to hate me for being Jewish? Hate me. You don't want us in the White House? Vote for someone else. If you're against Charlie Young marrying Zoey Bartlett, don't send them a wedding gift. I protect and honor your right to believe what you believe." Josh stopped and licked his lips. "But when you shoot blindly into a crowd of people, when you send death threats to a child, or my Protestant wife from Wisconsin, that's just an act of cowardice. Thank you."_

"It was a beautiful speech Sam." Donna whispered watching her husband, Charlie and Zoe leave the site on CNBC, fixating on the cars waiting for them. "It was perfect."

Ainsley smiled at her husband before following his concerned gaze to Donna. Her fingers white knuckled against the side of the rocking chair as Josh and the others got in the car. They all jumped when her cell phone shrilled out a ring.

"Hey."

"_Hey Beautiful_."

"Your not to shabby yourself there Mr. Civil Rights Activist." She smiled nervously.

"_I want muffins_." He was smirking, she could tell.

"The second you get home." She whispered longingly.

"_Two hours, Baby_." He sighed. "_So.. the dogs_?"

"Yeah." She sighed, it seemed silly now.

"_You had the car dream again_?" His voice was soft.

"Yeah." She sniffed against the sudden onslaught of tears.

"_I'm okay Donnatella_."

"Okay." She sobbed wiping her hand across her face.

"_Donna don't cry_."

"It's hormones."

"_It's not all that and you know it_." He told her, she sniffed again. "_I think you should take my call with Stanley_."

"Josh.." She tried to sound stern.

"_I'm fine, you're not_." He said heartbrokenly.

"Come home, I'll be fine." Donna wiped her eyes as she made her way into the bedroom Noahand Leo were in.

"_I'm on my way_." He said softly. "_Call Stanley_,"

"In a minute.." She murmered, moving her son's hair out of his face."I just want to.."

"_Donnatella.._" Her name slipped off of his lips in a long sigh. "_I shouldn't have_-."

"No. You were great Josh. I'm okay." She sobbed. "I'll be okay."

"_You're not okay_."He whispered. "_You're crying_."

"I'm pregnant Josh."

"_Okay_." He said suddenly. "_Call Stanley now_."

"Yeah?" She sniffed.

"_I'm getting out right now_." She listened to the car door close. "_We're at the airport. Two hours_."

"I love you." She told him, pressing her lips together tightly.

"_I love you more_." He told her hanging up the phone.

* * *

They took a cab home from Regan, cabs didn't reduce her to tears. Josh wanted this baby born. He wanted this over. Right now he just wanted to hold her.

Deanna was sitting in the livingroom when he opened the door.

"Josh." She said quickly rushing to him. He hugged the girl. "You guys were great."

"Thanks Dee." He pressed a kiss into the girls hair. "Charlie and Zoe are waiting for you in the cab."

"She's not asleep. She got off the phone with Dr. Keyworth andshut her and Noah inyour bedroom." He smiled at her. "She's not fooling me."

"Did you guys walk home?" He asked knowingly.

"Sam carried Noah all four blocks." Deanna shook her head, reaching for the door. "Goodnight."

"Nite, Dee."

Josh locked the door behind her and started up the stairs to their bedroom, turning the nob.

"My man." She whispered as he sat beside her on the bed, pushing her tear soaked hair off of her face. "You came back to me."

"I told you I would.." He whispered with a sad smile, dipping his head down to kiss her. "I always will, always."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, he pulled her body up with him.

"Joshthis sucks so much." She sobbed.

"Two more weeks, the baby will be here and you'll feel better." He kissed her neck.

"Two more weeks and maybe you'll be able to get in the car without me having an axnity attack?" She sniffed.

"It's your turn." He told her.

"I love you." She told him, wrapping her tightly in her arms and easing onto the bed without disturbing Noah.

"It's almost over." He moved his hand down to her belly. "Maybe it's all over now. Who knows."

"God I hope so."

* * *


	16. Dateline

**A/N Dana: You sense doom because you know me so well.. luckily it will be coming in the next (and last) story of the series. I have the last part of this writen, it's not a teaser for the next part, it's a end to this part.. but I wrote it in the style the new story will be writen in. Does that make sense? Anyway here it is.

* * *

"You've caused mutiny in the ranks." Sam muttered busting through the doors of Josh's office.**

"I could have been in a meeting." The chief of staff held up his hands in protest.

"You're not." Sam shrugged.

"I could have been." Lyman insisted.

"You're working on the Gas Tax Cuts." His Deputy raised his eye brows and flopped onto the visitor's couch.

"How do you know this?" Josh shook his head and closed up the file on his desk.

"Duhh. I called Donna." Sam rolled his eyes.

"What?" Josh let his head bob back.

"I called-"

"Donna's on line one!" Peter shouted through the intercom cutting off Sam. Josh starred at the phone. "It's the one she put the nail polish on!"

"Does he not know he doesn't have to bellow?" Sam asked as Josh hit the button. "Why does he bellow?"

"_He bellows because Josh will ignore him if he doesn't_." Came Donna's muffled voice.

"Why are you muffled?" Sam asked in confusion.

"Donnatella!" Josh looked indignantly at the phone.

"_Mutt?_" Sam was pretty sure she had asked 'what?'.

"You're eating my pizza!" He shook his head at the phone.

"_You said one_." She squeaked.

"It's twelve forty five!" He whined.

"_Well you're not going to be here at one are you?_" She pointed out.

"I could have been." He muttered.

"_Ha. Besides, how do you know it's your pizza_?"She countered.

"You ordered soup! Soup doesn't muffle."

"Guys?" Sam knew this could take a while.

"_What? It's one piece_."

"Guys?"

"Remember that tonight when you can't sleep because 'the baby' gave you heart burn."

"_Hey! Just because your big old baby doesn't seem to have any intentions of coming out doesn't mean I should have to eat soup and crackers for-."_

"GUYS!"

"What!" Josh shouted back.

"Mutiny? The ranks?" He looked at Josh pointedly.

"_Sam are your aides trying to wash your shirt again?_"

"No. And it's a Jersey." Seaborn corrected.

"_It smells_." Donna announced her voice once again muffled by pizza.

"Okay fine. Can we get back to the thing?" He whined.

"_The mutiny_?" She mocked.

"Yes." Sam looked up suddenly. "Hey Ron, good. Come in."

"Sir." Agent Butterfield nodded at Josh.

"_What's going on_?" Donna asked quietly. Josh picked up the receiver taking her off speaker phone.

"Hang on Baby I don't know yet." He whispered back. "I'll call you back."

"No she should listen to this." Sam told him. Josh made a face.

"She's forty one weeks pregnant Sam. She shouldn't be hearing to any-."

"It's about her too." Ron said softly.

"_Josh.. I want to hear._" He sighed and pressed the button again. Josh laid the phone down on the hook still holding the receiver in his hands.

"Apparently, Josh's speech has caused quiet the shake up in the White Pride movement." Ron explained.

"Huh?" Josh shook his head between the two men.

"Not so much your speech. More your clarification." Sam said smugly.

"Of what?" Lyman sat back down, his hand still resting on the phone protectively.

"Of Donna." Ron said quickly.

"_Me_?"

"Apparently most of the members of the West Virgina White Pride attend a Protestant church in Dunlun, West Virgina."

"So.. they see Donna as one of them." Josh nodded in soft understanding.

"_Excuse me_?"

"They don't want to kill you. Your not black or a Jew. You're a blond hair blue eyed Protestant from Wisconsin." He smiled a little and shook his head.

"_Why does that suddenly make me feel dirty_?"

"There's been a shift in power.." Sam reported proudly. "Dateline's doing a thing."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"They called this morning." Peter announced from the door thumbing through Josh's messages.

"_Dateline NBC_?" Donna squeaked.

"They talked to the minister from your parents church in Wisconsin." Sam announced happily.

"_They what?_" Josh pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at his wife.

"He also called this morning." Peter reported holding up a piece of paper.

"_Reverend Matthews_?"

"Yes, and Dee called to ask if I should tell your parents that you were on maternity leave.."

"Did you?" Josh asked suddenly looking up at his assistant.

"I know the procedure Josh." Peter balked.

"_No personal information. How many times do I have to tell Dee-?_"

"Donna calm down." He whispered softly.

"_Josh I don't want them to call me every hour on the-_."

"I know I'll take care of it." He looked and Peter, mouthing 'Take care of it'The man nodded at him. "So are we commenting?"

"You're doing Dateline." Sam nodded.

"No I'm not." Josh laughed shaking his head.

"Yes you are." Sam countered quickly.

"_Dateline_?" Donna asked again.

"There is no way I'm-." Josh shook his head again, this time more fiercely.

"The press is having a field day, Josh you're doing Dateline." Sam crossed his legs and gave him an as a matter of fact look.

"_Dateline NBC?" _Josh rolled his eyes at the phone.

"Let Donna's minister.." He began.

"_Josh_!" She squealed again.

"I'm not doing-." He protested.

"_I'm coming up there_." Sam listened to the sound of rusting takeout bags as Donna stood up.

"You are not!" He yelled grabbing the receiver again. "I'm going to finish up with Ron and then I'm coming home for lunch. Order me another pizza and I'll pick it up on my way to the drugstore for the cart full of antacids you're going to need."

"_How long_?" He looked at Ron.

"How long?" The man held up the file and shrugged. "Thirty minutes."

"_Josh you have a meeting with_-." Donna warned.

"Peter farm out my-." He called.

"Got it." Peter sighed moving towards his desk.

"_You should send him a-_."

"Donna wants you to send him muffins." Josh reported.

"I'm on it." He huffed.

"He's on it."

"_Blueberry_."

"Donna says-." Josh started until he heard the line click over and heard Peter's voice.

"Blueberry, no nuts, box not basket." His assistant told them bluntly. "I'm on it."

"He's a good assistant." Donna said softly.

"Ah." Josh smiled into the phone. "I've had better."

* * *

"Is all that really necessary?" Josh moaned as the makeup woman came back at him with the powder puff. She smiled politely and kept puffing. He looked at his wife. "Tell her it won't help."

"She's trying to keep your giant forehead from creating a glare." Donna mumbled with a far off look on her face.

"I don't wanna do this." He whined.

"Your doing it." Annabeth snapped straightening his jacket and giving him a hard once over.

"Joshua?" Donna called softly.

"I know I know.. be polite. Don't make fun of your parents minister. I got it."

"Not that." She said sharply.

"Unless your going to tell me I don't have to do this then I don't want to hear it." He shook his head.

"Josh!" Her voice was more strained than it should be, Josh tried to see around the make up girl.

"You're doing it." Annabeth ordered shaking her head.

"No he's not." Donna said quietly.

"I'm not?" He finally could turn his puzzled expression to his wife. "You said I was-." He stopped when he saw her, leaning against the wall with her eyes squeezed shut. "Get Sam." He told Annabeth carefully pushing the makeup girl away and taking Donna's arm. "Is that the first one?"

She nodded her head quickly, grasping his shirt for a second before catching her breath.

"The first real one." She told him.

"Josh?" Sam looked from him to Donna.

"Tell Charlie he's doing Dateline." He muttered pushing Donna's hair back from her face.

"I'll get a car." Annabeth told them helpfully.

"Josh." Donna whimpered.

"No." He said firmly, looking at Sam. "Give Nick your keys."

"Hurry." Sam muttered as he fumbled through his pockets before tossing the BMW keys at the agent.

Nick had just moved forward towards the door when Donna gasped, gripping at Josh's jacket and clutching her side. Sam and Josh exchanged glances before Lyman nodded at his agent. Nick shot a look at Ana. The four of them had been present at Donna's previous delivery and none seemed to be looking for a repeat performance.

"Fox to Bravo." Ana said suddenly into her wrist. "We need an ambulance."


	17. Delivery

**A/N this is how the chapters in "Looking Back" will go.. so her.. Hoped you liked this story as much as I did. God I wish I owned VanHalen... i'd be soo very rich.

* * *

**

_Don't wanna wait 'til tomorrow,  
Why put it off another day?  
One more walk through problems,  
Built up, and stand in our way ,ah  
One step ahead, one step behind me  
Now you gotta run to get even  
Make future plans, _

_don't dream about yesterday, hey  
C'mon turn, turn this thing around  
Right now, hey  
Its your tomorrow  
Right now,  
C'mon,its everything  
Right now,  
Catch a magic moment, do it  
Right here and now  
It means everything

* * *

_

"Did I miss it?" Santos' Deputy Chief of Staff rounded the corner quickly and almost collided with his boss.

"Nah. Ainsley's in there." Josh rubbed his face and blew the air out of his lips slowly.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He met his friend's eyes. "It's just hard you know.. when she's.."

"Screaming?" Sam guessed flinching at the memory of his son's delivery.

"Yeah."

"Worse than with Noah?" Sam sat down on the chair next to his friend.

"No." Josh looked at Sam and smiled slowly shaking his head in amazement. "With Noah she was yelling for me to do something. This time? She's yelling at me to stay the hell away from her."

"That's a sound you're used to." He smiled.

"It's crazy Sam, that the last time we did this.." He gestured back to the room.

"Yeah."

* * *

_Miss the beat, you lose the rhythm,  
And nothing falls into place, no  
Only missed by a fraction,  
Slipped a little off your pace, oh,  
The more things you get, the more you want,  
Just trade in one for the other,  
Workin' so hard, to make it easier, whoa,  
Got to turn, c'mon turn this thing around  
Right now, hey  
Its your tomorrow  
Right now,  
C'mon, its everything  
Right now,  
Catch that magic moment, do it  
Right here and now  
It means everything  
Its enlightened me, right now  
What are you waitin' for  
Oh, yeah, right now

* * *

_

_**(Three years earlier.)**_

"**_How_** far apart?" Sam gasped wide eyed as he settled into the seat.

"Five minutes." Josh growled reaching over his wife and buckling the seatbelt around her.

"Are you kidding me?" Sam screeched.

"They're not that bad." Donna muttered. Seaborn shot her an astonished look.

"She wanted to stay for the damn speech." Josh explained closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself.

"It's an important speech Joshua." She shouted. He opened his eyes long enough to roll them at her.

"Five minutes?" Sam shook his head.

"Uh Oh." Donna whispered with a gasp.

"Shit." Josh muttered as his wife's hand clamped down on his biceps. "Three an a half." Her force strengthened. "I thought they weren't that bad?"

"They weren't!" She cried through clenched teeth.

"You have to be kidding me." Sam cried turning to look at the driver. "Can we maybe.. I don't know...Go faster?"

Donna's frightened cry turned into a yell.

"We're trying to get permission, Sir." Ana answered looking at him with wide eyes.

"Permission?" Sam shook his head in confusion.

"Josh!"

"Breathe Baby."

"To break formation Sir." The driver muttered.

"Right. Sure." Sam tossed his hands up in the air. Donna's cries became more frantic. The tone in the car became more frantic.

"Josh.." She pressed her face into her husband's chest, holding her breath. "He's coming."

"Break formation!" Josh ordered.

"Sir, I can't just-."

"I have to push!" Donna screamed.

"You have **_my_** fucking permission!" Josh met Ana's eyes firmly. "Do it."

"Alpha this is Fox we need to break formation. Sir, requesting permission to break formation. Over!" Ana was yelling now too.

"Mrs. Lyman. I'm going to take off your skirt Ma'am." Nick told her calmly.

"No Josh! Please." She moaned, her breath picking up speed. "I don't want to have him in the car."

"Ana!" Sam yelped.

"Sir?" Nick called firmly.

"Joshua! I-. He's-." Donna's broke out into a scream.

"Sir." Nick said a bit more forcefully.

"Alpha, we have to break-." Ana was pleading now.

"Josh!" Nick yelled, Lyman's head shot up. "Put your hands behind her knees. Donna? Push with the next one."

"Shit." Sam muttered.

"Josh!" She panted, Josh kissed the side of her sweaty face. "Oh God!"

"Do what Nick says." He whispered trying to remember to breath himself. "Push Baby."

"Mr. Seaborn? I need your shirt please Sir."

"My.. oh.." Sam started unbuttoning.

"He's coming!"

"It's okay Donna." Josh said softly, praying he wasn't lying.

"Big push Donna." Nick ordered.

"Fox, this is Alpha. Permission granted. Break left at the light over."

"I can't-OHMY- Josh!"

"I'm right here." He told her.

"Push Donna." Nick said firmly. "Mr. Seaborn?"

"Oh.. Here." Sam thrust the shirt towards him, his eyes fixed between Donna's legs. He wondered if he was ever going to be able to look her or Josh in the eye again.

"I need your hand, Sir."

"My-?"

"Put your hand here Sir."

"**_Where_**?" Sam squeaked.

"Under his head." Nick said firmly.

"Holy Sh-." His words were drown out but Donna's ear drum shattering scream.

"Deep Breath, Big Push." Nick yelled over her.

* * *

_Right now, hey  
Its your tomorrow  
Right now,  
Cmon, its everything  
Right now,  
Catch that magic moment, and do it right,  
Right now  
Right now, oh, right now  
Its whats happening?  
Right here and now  
Right now  
Its right now  
Oh,  
Tell me, what are you waiting for  
Turn this thing around

* * *

_

"Heads out." The doctor told them.

"One more, Baby and she's here." Josh whispered to her.

"It hurts." She whimpered

"One more." He told her.

"Here we go Donna." One of the nurses called softly.

"Push Baby." Josh tightened his grip on her hand.

"That's it Donna. Push Push Push.." One of the nurses instructed.

"Here she is." The doctor announced, over the sound of the baby's loud cries.

"She's bigger than Noah was." Josh observed taking his daughter from the nurse.

"She looks just like you." Donna cried as Josh laid her daughter in her arms.

"Yeah?" He smiled, moving his wife's damp hair from her forehead, before studying his little girl.

"Um hum" She nodded.

"Can we come in now?" Sam called, wandering in with his hands in front of his eyes.

"Sam you made it." Donna smiled.

"Would I miss it?" He laughed. "And let Noah hold that over her head for her entire life?"

"She looks like me." Josh turned his head to face Sam over his shoulder.

The baby emitted a tiny squeak and her audience turned back to her just in time to see her tiny bottom lip slip out into a perfect Donna-like pout. Josh felt his heart lurch. "Uh oh." He whispered unable to pry his eyes away from his daughters face.

"Yeah.. you're screwed." Sam told him.

"Completely." Donna agreed.

* * *

_Do it right,  
Right now  
Right now, oh, right now  
It's whats happening?  
Right here and now  
Right now  
It's right now _


End file.
